A Light on Beacon Hill: Senator Patrick O’Connor Stands With Families Fighting PANS/PANDAS

A Light on Beacon Hill: Senator Patrick O’Connor Stands With Families Fighting PANS/PANDAS

There are moments in this journey when it feels like no one is listening. Like your child’s suffering is invisible. Like the system wasn’t built for families like yours.

But then someone shows up. Someone who listens, who learns, and who leads.

For families navigating the storm of PANS/PANDAS, Senator Patrick O’Connor has become that someone.

He’s not here because it’s politically convenient. He’s here because he’s watched the pain unfold across the South Shore - heard the voices of heartbroken parents, met the kids behind the acronyms, and decided, this can’t be ignored.

“Over the past nine and a half years I’ve been in office, we’ve seen a rise in PANS/PANDAS cases. But when properly treated, children can often make a full recovery. That’s a goal worth working toward.”

When Policy Meets Heart

Senator O'Connor didn't just read about PANS/PANDAS in a file-he met it in real life, through the stories of people like Jennifer Vitelli and Sheilah Gauch, two mothers turned fierce advocates. As co-leaders of the Massachusetts Coalition for PANS/PANDAS Legislation, they led tireless efforts-organizing state-wide advocacy efforts, spending long days at the State House, and holding countless heart-wrenching conversations with lawmakers. Today, Jennifer serves as Executive Director of the Look. Foundation, and Sheilah is a member of its Board of Directors. 

“I’ve come to know them well over the years - professionally and personally,” he says. “They’ve made such a difference not just on the South Shore, but across the Commonwealth.”

Together, they showed Senator O'Connor, and many others, what real advocacy looks like.

Because We Can’t Let Another Child Slip Through the Cracks

“We can’t afford to keep letting PANS/PANDAS cases fall through the cracks.”

Senator O'Connor has long been a champion for these families. He previously filed and sponsored key PANS/PANDAS legislation, including the insurance mandate and the establishment of the Department of Public Health PANS/PANDAS Advisory Council, both of which were signed into law in January

2020. These victories made Massachusetts the first state in the country to pass both measures simultaneously, positioning the Commonwealth as a national leader in recognizing and addressing the complex needs of children with PANS/PANDAS.

Continuing to champion for PANS/PANDAS families, Senator O'Connor filed S.1415 and S.805 this legislative session, historic bills and the first of their kind in the nation, aimed at understanding the prevalence of this illness while improving how these children are diagnosed, how their symptoms are understood, and how the medical system responds. These bills are a lifeline for families who have spent too long feeling invisible.

Senator O'Connor knows what's at stake. He's seen what happens when these children are misunderstood, misdiagnosed, sent to psychiatric hospitals, denied appropriate treatment and labeled instead of helped. He's taking action-because no child should fall through the cracks.

When so many others have turned away, Senator O’Connor leaned in. He didn’t have to. But he did.

And that matters.

A Community That Rallies. A Senator Who Does Too.

Patrick O’Connor is proud of the South Shore, not just because of its beauty, but because of its spirit. The way neighbors show up for one another. The way families keep going, even when they’re exhausted. The way advocacy turns into action.

“Regardless of what we’re fighting for, we rally together and make things happen.”

Whether it’s speaking at the first annual PANS/PANDAS Walk on Boston Common, or helping turn the Zakim, Longfellow and Fore River Bridges green on Global PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day, Senator O’Connor is there - not just in the background but standing beside us.

He’s not just a name on a ballot. He’s a hand on your shoulder, a voice in the room, a reminder that you’re not alone.

The Power of Being Seen

Ask him what he’s learned from this community, and his answer is simple, yet profound.

“This disease doesn’t just affect a child — it impacts the entire family. The emotional and financial toll is enormous. But still, these families fight. That strength... it stays with me.”

This isn’t just another cause. This is about protecting children. About honoring parents. About making sure the next family doesn’t have to fight quite so hard.

“Motivating. Strong. Passionate.”

That’s how he describes the Look. Foundation. But honestly? It’s how we describe him.

This Is What Hope Looks Like

In a world where it often feels like no one’s listening, Senator Patrick O’Connor is.

He reminds us that government can be human. That advocacy can be heartfelt. That change is possible when people care enough to act.

And for every family searching for answers, every child waiting to be understood, every parent holding it together for just one more day, he’s proof that we are not alone.

He sees us. He’s with us. And he’s fighting alongside us.